Furlough
by PeetasAndHerondales
Summary: Peeta, Gale, and Finnick are sailors on furlough before shipping off for WWII. Comedy ensues when they run into feisty night club girls Katniss, Johanna, and Annie. One crazy night filled with fun, fights, and love affairs! A gift for IzzySamson from the AO3 Spring Fling Fic Exchange.


_**A/N-** __Affectionally dedicated to IzzySamson. I really enjoyed working on this prompt, and I hope you enjoy reading it! I do rather love WWII, sailors, and jazz music ;) Especial thanks to my amazing beta, Court81981. This story would have not have been what it is without all of her help! Also, it wouldn't have had as much smut;) I really cannot even begin to express how grateful I am for everything. All mistakes are mine. Enjoy!_

* * *

_Friday, May 17th, 1940_

_New York City_

_18:00 hours_

**_Peeta_**

I breathed in the warm summer air as I tucked the furlough in the inside pocket of my white summer uniform, using the handkerchief around my neck to wipe the sweat off my brow. The city reeked like fumes, but it was home. Finnick, Gale, and I had just stepped off _The Capitol_, the ship that had carried us home from France. We had two short weeks to taste freedom, but after that, we had to go back to fight for it again.

"Do you hear that, Peet? I can hear the jazz tunes calling me already!" Finnick exclaimed as he clapped me on the back. I grinned at him. Finnick and I had been trumpet players when we were midshipmen at the Naval Academy.

"Well, I'm excited to see the dolls dancing in their short skirts," Gale smirked as we strolled off the dock.

"What would Commander Snow say if he found that that's why you requested a furlough and not because you wanted to see your poor, dear momma, who's probably worried sick about you?" I shook my head at him mockingly.

"Aw, dry up, Peet, we all know you're itching to eat some pussy," Gale remarked as Finnick guffawed.

I scowled at them. "Y'all are just jealous because I'm the pussy champ," I declared proudly.

"Don't be vile," Finnick said, acting offended. "We're just as good, and in my case probably better than you are."

"Oh, really? Do you have a badge to prove it? I don't think so," I said, pointing to all my medals, "This one right here, the one beside the purple heart, is my pussy-eating-champ badge." They both burst out laughing.

Gale nudged me. "Who gave you that, anyway? Those French girls you've been drawing? You need some American girls, man."

"I'm surprised you're saying that, Gale, considering what that last American nurse did to you," I reminded him as we walked up the street.

"Oh yeah, the one who sent you that Dear John letter? What was her name? Madge Under the Sea?" Finnick asked innocently.

"Lay off, you two," Gale scowled at us. "And it's _Undersee."_

"Fine, but you know, I do miss some of those French girls…most of them said things like, _voulez-vous coucher avec moi, _and of course the only word I knew was _oui _so I got lucky every time," I grinned as we approached a shop.

"You slay me, Mellark," Finnick said between chokes of laughter.

Gale frowned, digging his hands in his pockets thoughtfully. "It's too bad we lost France to the damn Nazis,"

"You're such a killjoy, Galileo," Finnick said. "France always loses everything. The only wars they don't lose are the ones between themselves. They make love, not war. Why do you think we were talking about French girls in the first place?"

"What did you just call me?" Gale asked as he gritted his teeth at him.

"Oh, come on, we saw it on your furlough," I chuckled. "Don't even act like that's not your real name. What would your momma say?"

"Will you shut it up about my momma? And if you two even dare mention my real name again, I swear I will-"

"Hey, is that Duke Ellington I hear? Let's hit up this joint!" I interrupted him as I stepped into a bar called Abernathy's, the others sauntering in behind me.

"This is just a recording; I thought you meant the actual artist!" Finnick groaned, taking off his Dixie Cup hat in frustration. He clutched the white canvas hat in his fists, making it look like a rag instead of a disposable drinking cup. While I was always careful in rolling the top quarter edge of mine to give it a flat edge, Finnick was always wrinkling his, and Gale liked to loosen his to make it look round.

"Forget that, look at those girls over there!" Gale said eagerly, momentarily distracted by a short-haired brunette with a sly smirk and coquettish brown eyes. She winked at us as the song ended, approaching the stage with two other girls with similar sparkling dresses behind her.

"I called her first," Gale breathed.

"Seriously, Hawthorne? All you think about is your di-" Finnick began until he caught sight of the second girl. This one had long brown hair that fell in tousled waves and bright sea-green eyes. She blushed as she noticed Finnick's shameless gawking, fidgeting with the hem of her short blue skirt.

"Yeah, you can have the short-haired one. I call that lovely mermaid behind her," Finnick said eagerly. "Let's take a seat closer to the stage!" he suggested as the girls prepared to perform onstage.

But it was the third girl who really caught my eye. She had her hair back in a simple braid, and she was wearing a bright red-orange dress that complemented the passionate fire in her gray eyes. She scowled at me when she noticed me staring as I took my seat between Finnick and Gale. She was absolutely beautiful.

"Up next are Johanna, Katniss, and Annie, performing to _In the Mood_," a round-bellied man holding a pocket watch announced before he left the stage to them. The audience clapped, and Finnick even wolf-whistled. Gale licked his lips in anticipation. I held my breath as I watched the girl on fire take the microphone when the music began playing and her friends began dancing to the fast beat on either side of her.

_Mister Whatcha call 'em_  
_what-cha doin' tonight?_  
_Hope you're in the mood because I'm feelin' just right._  
_How's about a corner with a table for two_  
_where the music's mellow in some gray rendezvous?_  
_There's no chance romancin' with a blue attitude._  
_You've got to do some dancing to get in the mood._

I watched and listened in awe as her voice filled the room, her fierce gaze beckoning me as she sang, the other two girls joining in at the chorus. I had never heard such a heavenly voice in my entire life. My crotch stiffened as she took in a breath, causing her breasts to lift, and her sweet lips opened in a tight _"O"_ when she sang that she was in the _mood_. Boy, was I in the mood. No one else in this room was more aroused, save perhaps for my companions.

_Be alive and get the jive_  
_you've got to learn how._  
_Hep_  
_hep_  
_hep. - hep like a hepper._  
_Pep_  
_pep_  
_pep. - Hot as a pepper._  
_Step_  
_step_  
_step. - Step like a steper._  
_We're muggin' and huggin'_  
_we're in the mood now._

The pixie-haired one when came down from the stage and began dancing and shaking her hips in front of Gale, his rakish grin becoming hungrier as she teased him, slapping his hand away when he tried to touch her buttocks.

_Mister Watcha call 'em_  
_all you needed was fun._  
_You can see the wonders that this ev'nin' has done._  
_Your feet were so heavy till they hardly could move._  
_Now they're light as feathers and you're right in the groove._  
_You were only hungry for some musical food._  
_You're positively absolutely in the mood._  
_Sister Watcha call 'em I'm indebted to you._  
_It all goes to show what good influence can do._  
_Never felt so happy and so fully alive_

_seems that jam and jumpin' is a powerful jive._  
_Swingaroo has given me a new attitude_

_my heart is full of rhythm and I'm in the mood. _

Finnick hooted and whooped as he watched his mermaid blow him a kiss, and I drooled and gaped at the silver-eyed girl singing in front of me. I knew then that just like my fellow sailors, I was a goner.

**_Katniss_**

"That was exceptional, girls!" Effie, the bar owner's wife, chattered on after we finished our show, going on about how we were all the rage out there. Effie was in charge of organizing our dances and costumes, but I was hardly even listening.

I had seen him looking at me, the dreamy sailor with the sky-blue eyes and golden hair. I finished my performance and quickly followed Jo and Annie backstage, where the rest of the nightclub girls were chattering on about their makeup and costumes. "Did you see those delicious sailors? I call the blonde one," I heard Glimmer gush to Clove, who nodded enthusiastically. I glared at them. I had always hated Glimmer, but this time her comment really set me off. He'd been staring at _me, _for crying out loud.

"Ugh, I can't stand those gold-digging bitches," Johanna remarked as soon as they were gone.

"Jo!" Annie chastised her. "Someone could hear you, pipe down!"

"Well then let them, I don't care. I'm just callin' them as I'm seein' them," she huffed. "You mark my words, that dark-haired sailor with the Fuck-Me gray eyes will be mine before the end of the night!" She lifted her breasts, adjusting her sparkling green dress in front of the vanity mirror.

"Oh, well in that case, I call the handsome ginger with the cute dimples," Annie sighed dreamily as she fluffed her hair, biting her bottom lip.

"What about you, Katniss? Don't you think we didn't notice you eyeing that blonde one," Jo grinned.

I blushed. "I was not," I lied. "_He _was eyeing _me_."

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if Glimmer took him," Annie said innocently.

"No!" I exclaimed before I could stop myself, and they both laughed.

"Oh, it's not like I would have a chance with him anyways; he looks like a swell from a rich family, all of them do, and I have other things to worry about," I said. After all, I was just a night-club girl trying to make enough money to bring home to my momma and my baby sister Prim.

"Kitty-Kat, you're never gonna find a man with that attitude, and Primrose is no longer a baby, she's sixteen-years-old for crying out loud!" Jo reminded me.

"Yes, Katniss, Jo's right. You need to loosen up and have some fun!" Annie agreed.

"You too, Annie? You usually take _my _side!" I complained.

"Well, she's right, and I'm sorry, but I couldn't help overhearing you three. I saw how that handsome sailor wouldn't take his eyes off of you, Katniss. We used to be friends way back in the day. Maybe I could introduce you two," Delly suggested as she walked by us.

"Delly!" I blushed.

"I think that's a wonderful idea, and we could use that excuse to get him to introduce us to his friends!" Johanna exclaimed.

"Oh, _no_, absolutely not," I said as she pulled me away towards the bar.

But it was too late. They had already made up their minds, and there was no stopping them as we approached the table with the three sailors. My heart skipped a beat as those crystal blue eyes landed on me, and I felt nervous as I tried in vain to swallow down my nervousness. His gaze did things to me that I could not fathom.

"Peeta, do you remember me? Delly Cartwright, from school," she said as she grinned at him, and he looked up at her with a large smile on his lips, his face lighting up like the sunrise. _Oh no, _I thought. _I'm already comparing him to the sun and I haven't even formally met him yet!_

"Why yes, Dells, of course I remember you! We were best friends back in elementary school! How have you been?" he asked as his friends noticed our arrival and scooted closer so that they could get an earful- and an eyeful, mind you- of what was going on.

"Oh, I've been just dandy, Peet, thank you for asking. You look like you're doing great yourself," she said to him.

"Aw, you're too sweet, Dells. Care to introduce us to your friends? My companions here seem rather eager," he joked as he pointed at the other two sailors, who couldn't take their eyes off of Johanna and Annie. I could tell that Peeta was watching me out of the corner of his eye as well, and it made me feel strangely pleased yet equally uneasy.

"Of course! In fact, that's exactly why we came here," Delly replied. "This is Johanna, Annie, and Katniss," she said as she pointed to each of us.

"You three sing mighty pretty," the red-headed sailor said as he gave Annie googly eyes, making her blush in response. I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, and you dance rather fine, too," the dark-haired sailor added, winking at Johanna.

"It's nice to meet you ladies, I'm Peeta, and these two are Gale and Finnick," Peeta introduced them, not taking his eyes off of me.

"Oh, well, y'all seem to get along fine without me. I'm just going to go back to waitressing before Haymitch catches me. It was nice to meet you, and I hope to see you more often, Peeta," Delly tells the sailors, who return the gesture before she's off to tend to her tables.

"Would you like to dance?" Peeta suddenly asks me as the band begins playing a soft, romantic blues tune.

I blushed, not knowing what to say, but then noticed that Johanna and Annie were already dancing with Gale and Finnick, so I hastily agreed, and Peeta smiled and took my hand gently as he led me towards the dance floor. "You have a very beautiful voice," he told me as he placed one of his large hands around my slender waist.

"Thank you," I whispered, realizing that these were first words that I had said aloud to him.

He flashed me another flawless smile, and I was struck by how freely he gifted his happiness to others. I wasn't much for sunshine and rainbows, but for some reason, seeing this handsome sailor looking at me like I was the greatest thing on the planet made my stomach flutter with butterflies. Ugh, what was I saying? I had just met him! What was wrong with me? I never let men woo me so easily.

_Get it together, Everdeen, _I scolded myself.

"You're welcome," he said, still smiling. "You know, I've never been so star-struck in my life before, and I'll have you know I've met President FDR himself several times. But no man can compare to a dame as lovely as yourself," he said as he kissed the back of my hand tenderly while we whirled around the room.

I held in a breath as his soft lips made direct contact with my olive skin, the kiss lingering in a tingling sensation even after his mouth was gone. "Oh, you flatter me too much," I said, stifling a giggle. Giggle? I never giggled!

"It's only the truth," he replied, dipping me slowly when the song came to an end, his face mere inches from mine.

"Well, in that case… I would like to learn more about you and your frequent visits with the president, if that's alright," I said as we came back up.

He chuckled, "Oh, it's more than alright. I'll tell you everything you want to know about me, as long as you agree to meet with me after your shift is over," he requested.

I looked around and noticed that Johanna and Gale were already making out in a corner and Annie and Finnick were nowhere in sight. I remembered what they had told me. _Come on, Katniss, where's your sense of adventure? You may never see him again._"Actually, I have some time now. Meet me backstage?" I asked.

"Of course," he said with a sly grin.

**_Peeta_**

I couldn't believe my luck. I felt like both of us were in a haze as we walked hand-in-hand towards the head. The trumpets in the background played an octave higher in endless arpeggios. I wasn't sure if we were in the ladies' room or the men's room, but I wasn't going to complain. We had privacy, as it was a single backstage employees' restroom. _All I want is you_, I wanted to tell her, but the words got caught up in my throat.

"You can fuck me if we leave the lights off," she said bluntly as we stepped in.

My eyes widened at her choice of words as she backed me up against the door. "Wait, what?" I asked stupidly as she reached behind me to lock it firmly. We were nearly in complete darkness now, the only available light seeping in from underneath the door.

"Shh," she said as she leaned in to kiss me, and I lost track of thought. I hadn't kissed a woman in so long. He lips were soft and moist, yet persistent, against mine, her warm tongue prying open my mouth as my hands reached up to wrap around her waist, pressing her closer to me. I moaned as I stroked her tongue with mine, her sweet scent and taste overwhelming my senses. She was like a breath of fresh air, and she tasted like pinecones. Perhaps it was the mixture of her and the gin and tonic I'd had earlier.

"Wait, don't you think we're going too fast?" I interrupted her after a minute of ravenous kissing—_fuck, what am I saying? I never said no to the French girls!_ But I really liked this girl, and I was torn over the fact that I may only have one night with her. I wanted to fuck her, but I also wanted the time to know everything about her, and I only had the furlough. This never happened to me; my emotions had never been more invested than my dick before.

I sensed her hesitation, and then she sighed, exasperated, "Oh, you're right; this whole idea's all wet!"

I smirked, "Are you sure that's the only thing that's wet?" I couldn't help myself with the crass comment.

Fortunately, she giggled, and then stopped abruptly, as if regretting it. "I've never done it in the toilets before," she admitted bashfully.

"Me neither," I assured her. I'd done it in plenty of other places, though, but I chose not to say that. "We can go somewhere else if you'd like," I offered, though I wasn't sure where I could even take her.

She seemed to ponder that for a second, then pressed close to me again and said, "No, I think I would like us to stay here a little longer." As she whispered this, her hands ghosted over the waistband of my pants, my cock stiffening instantly in response. "And I'm still in the mood if you are," she added wantonly, referring to the song she had sung earlier. Before I knew it, we were both eagerly tugging them down to my ankles along with my underwear, and a few blissful seconds later, I felt her hot breath hovering over my swelling cock. I gulped in anticipation, licking my bottom lip. I clenched the sweat rag around my neck.

And then I felt her tongue licking the very tip of me before passing over it again, flicking lightly, tentatively. She was teasing me. "_Mmm."_ Her lips vibrated against my heated skin, and then I felt her thin, nimble fingers wrapping around my shaft, going up and down slowly and slightly squeezing just before reaching the top. I felt the creases of her lips, the warmth of her tongue. My hand dropped down to find her head, and I combed my fingers over her scalp as my hips thrust involuntarily towards her, the tell-tale tingling in my sac warning me that I was close. The lack of visual heightened my other senses, the faint music in the background growing louder and feeling of her mouth on me taking me to a steady crescendo. She moaned as I fucked her mouth, and I shivered. My head fell back against the door with a soft thud as I squeezed my eyes closed and released a loud groan.

"Katniss," I moaned, trying to pull her away before it was too late. But her mouth only went in further, and my gasp was drowned by the blare of the music and the scat singing in the background as she swallowed it all.

**_Katniss_**

We shuffled quickly out of the bathroom, only to run into Johanna and Gale as they stood outside the door, grinning from ear to ear. "What are you two doing out here?" I demanded as Peeta's eyes widened in surprise.

"I reckon the same thing as you, waitin' for our turn in the head," Gale smirked.

"I could've sworn I heard Blondie moanin' in there," Johanna added as she looked at Peeta, who blushed.

"Aw, did Peet get some head in the head?" Gale teased him as he clapped him on the shoulder.

"Beat it, Gale," Peeta growled at him, his jaw clenching.

"But did she swallow the seaman's semen?" Johanna asked, playing along while Gale chuckled.

"Ugh, you two are the worst! There's the bathroom, have at it!" I exclaimed in exasperation as I grabbed Peeta's hand and led him away from our crude friends, who were still swapping innuendos like they had known each other forever.

"I never thought I'd see the day in which Gale met his match," Peeta shook his head, astounded.

"I could say the same about Johanna," I remarked as we headed out the back door for some fresh air.

We met Annie and Finnick there, and they were just heading in as we were headed out, their faces flushed with excitement and their eyes bright with arousal. "Katniss!" Annie cried out when she saw me. "Our next performance is in ten minutes, we need to go get ready!"

"What, already?" I frowned, realizing that she was probably right.

"We'd love to see you ladies singing again," Finnick grinned at Annie, and her face flushed even more so.

"Yes, we'll even wait for you two until you get off work, won't we Finn?" Peeta added as Finnick nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course, we've got nowhere else to be. The only one whose family we were supposed to see today was Gale's, but we all got off track," Finnick shrugged.

"OK, great, we get off work at midnight," I told them.

"Just don't get in Haymitch's way, because he's really protective of us girls. He the rummy who tends the bar, but he's a good boss," Annie added.

"Well, then I could definitely use another drink," Peeta said as Finnick agreed.

"We'll see you soon!" I promised as Annie and I headed back to the dressing rooms, where Johanna was already fixing her hair in front of the vanity mirror.

"There you two are! Annie, where have you been?" Johanna asked with a sly grin.

"Mind your own beeswax!" Annie replied defiantly as I laughed. She picked up the powder from the dresser and retouched her face while I re-pinned my braid.

"Girls, you better hurry, Plutarch is gonna announce your names soon!" Effie said urgently, reminding us that we hadn't even warmed up yet. The only thing that I had done with my mouth in the past few minutes was…well, it was _not _using my vocals for singing. My face flushed at the memory of Peeta's taste, and the delectable feeling of his thick, heavy girth in my mouth. I could only wonder how he would feel inside me; he was so large. I clenched my thighs as I felt the heat gather in my core, and I felt the moisture that had been gathering there for a while. I needed friction to release the aching in my clit. My breathing accelerated as I inevitably pictured him taking me up against the corridor wall, thrusting his hips roughly into me, my legs wrapped around his waist. I fanned myself, claiming that the room felt stuffy. Annie and Johanna only gave me knowing smiles. I never guessed that I would end up dreaming for more. "You're going to be late for your performance," Effie continued, chastising us.

"Okay, girls, let's just do a quick scale, and then we can get going," Johanna said as she counted us off and we sang the notes along with her.

"Girls, you have two minutes!" Cray announced as he peeked inside the door, and we shooed him away, telling him we were ready. Cray was a creep, but apparently he was too valuable of a worker for Haymitch to fire. We all knew that the real reason was because knew how to get the best hooch from Ripper.

It was then that Plutarch announced our names from the front of the stage, and we walked out of the curtains, single file like we did last time. Only this time, I knew exactly where to look. This time, I didn't glare at the handsome blonde sailor sitting only a few feet away from me, watching me from his seat near the front of the stage. And as the music began, I started to sing in his direction, watching him staring back at me, as I tried to convey that I was singing for him.

**_Peeta_**

It was all going perfectly until the dancing begun. Katniss and I had been making eye contact throughout the beginning of the song, but then it sped up and Johanna and Annie stepped off the stage to dance around the crowds, mostly performing for Gale and Finnick, who seemed more than delighted by the attention. But then Cato and Marvel walked in, two fellow sailors whom we truly despised due to their crass behavior, rude attitude, and lack of respect for the other officers. I was convinced that if it weren't for their aptitude with the use of deadly weapons, they would have been kicked out of the Navy by now.

"Aw, shit, it's the motherfuckin' Careers," Gale muttered under his breath. Careers were our nicknames for them, since we were sure that they had been training to join the military since the age of ten. They had also been in Hotel Company with us at the Naval Academy. Basically, it was our rotten luck that we had been stuck with them for so long.

"Hey, mates," Cato greeted us over the music as he and Marvel approached us, like we were old friends or something. Cato always talked like he was British. I clenched my jaw. Just because we went way back didn't mean that we were close pals.

"Hey," I managed to say anyway, since neither Finnick nor Gale bothered to respond. Finnick was too busy ogling Annie's ass to notice anything else.

"Isn't this place smashing?" Cato grinned.

"Mind if we sit here with ya'll, we noticed that you have the best seats in the house," Marvel added.

"Yeah, and we're keepin' 'em," Gale growled.

"Aw, don't be rude, Galileo," Cato jibed.

"Don't call me that!" Gale seethed.

"Hey, I thought we were the only ones who knew your real name," Finn elbowed him playfully as Cato and Marvel sat with us anyway.

I rolled my eyes at them and turned my eyes back to the show: Katniss. She was now dancing on stage with Johanna and Annie on either side of her, blowing kisses at the crowd. We clapped and cheered as they stepped down towards the table and sang to us. When they approached our table, Cato leaned forward towards Katniss and tried to sneak his hand up her skirt, but she slapped him away quickly, and I jumped him from across the table before he could try anything else.

Everything turned into chaos as my fist landed on Cato's smug face, my knuckles crushing bone beneath them. I heard people gasp and the music stop, but all I could see was red, my ears ringing with adrenaline. "Don't you dare touch her again!" I shouted as he wiped the blood from his broken nose and busted lip. I gritted my teeth in challenge, clenching my fists as he tried to jump me, but Marvel held him back and Finnick and Gale had taken my side.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he yelled, the blood now staining his white uniform, his cold blue eyes as livid as mine.

"What's goin' on here?" the man from behind the bar bellowed as he came rushing angrily towards the commotion.

"Haymitch!" Annie gasped.

"That asshole bleeding over there tried to touch Katniss," Johanna said as everyone's eyes turned towards Cato.

"Manners! Language!" a heavily dressed-up lady with a ridiculous wig scolded her.

"That's not fucking true, he attacked me!" Cato pointed at me.

"I was defending her!"

"Alright, that's enough, all you sailors, get outta here and leave my girls alone before I call the cops on ya," Haymitch said before we could argue any further. "Effie, get the broom," he told the woman with the wig.

"But we didn't do anything!" Finnick interjected as we all rushed out. "Annie!" he cried out dramatically, extending his hands towards her while Effie shoved us out the door with a broom.

The bar door slammed shut behind us as Cato turned around and lunged towards me again, but this time, Gale and Finnick shoved him off. "Get away from us!" Gale roared. "It's your fault they kicked us out!"

"Let it go, man," Marvel told Cato, clapping him on the shoulder, but Cato brushed him away briskly.

"This isn't over, Mellark," he spat at me.

"You better stay away from Katniss!" I hollered back angrily.

He laughed. "Are you fucking serious, Lover Boy? Now you're in love with a nightclub whore?"

"She's not a whore!" This time, I was the one who lunged at him with renewed vigor, but Gale and Finnick held me back firmly as Cato and Marvel walked away from us.

"He's not worth it, don't get in a lather about it," Finnick told me.

I sighed. "You're right. But I wasn't going to let him get away with that." What had gotten into me? I never lost my temper, not even when Cato tried to get to me by mocking me. But this time it was different. This time, it was about Katniss. _You've definitely done it now, Peeta._ _You've fallen hard this time. _She really had the goods on me.

**_Katniss_**

"I can't believe he defended you that way!" Annie exclaimed dreamily. "He was like your Prince Charming!"

Johanna rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, Prince Charming got the bum's rush! I completely approve of that behavior, though," she winked at me. "That asshole got what was comin' for him."

I blushed. "I only wish I had gotten a chance to thank him," I said, biting my lip worriedly. Now I felt like I owed him. I wondered if Peeta was still out there, waiting for me to get off work. _Don't be ridiculous. _I chided myself. _It's been five hours._ Surely he had already left with his friends.

"Oh, I'm sure you paid him enough earlier," Johanna reminded me as I flushed even more.

"Katniss!" Annie gaped at me in astonishment. "Spill!"

"Ladies, stop beating your gums and get back on task!" Effie chastised us as she walked by, reminding us where to hang our dresses.

"Yes, Effie," we all responded in unison.

"Don't think you're getting out this; you're telling me all of it later!" Annie hissed as we prepared to leave. We exited out the back door, waving our good-byes to everybody as we walked into the fresh summer night air. "Oh my goodness! Are those our sailors? They came back for us!" Annie squealed eagerly, nearly jumping up and down with joy. I looked up, and, sure enough, Peeta, Gale, and Finnick were right across the street, crossing over to us quickly. "Finnick!" Annie ran into his arms as he caught her and kissed her passionately, and they spun around as if they were long-time lovers who hadn't seen each other in ages. Johanna and I exchanged glances.

"Hello, Katniss," Peeta said as he approached me shyly.

"Jo!" Gale greeted her as they exchanged devious grins.

"I can't believe you came back after what happened," I said apologetically.

"Of course we did, we promised we would, didn't we?" Peeta said, taken slightly aback.

"Well yes, but—"

"How 'bout we all take this somewhere else," Gale interrupted, loudly enough so that Finnick and Annie could hear him from a few feet away, where they were kissing madly.

"Oh, yes, I would love that!" Johanna gave him a flirtatious smile.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"That's a good question, I was thinking maybe Finnick's beach house, if we can get him away from Annie for a second," Gale said, glaring at the couple.

"Did someone say my name?" Finnick asked as he released Annie momentarily, leaving her flushed.

"Yeah, we were asking if we could all go to your place," Peeta replied, grinning at him. "It's the only place we haven't been to today since we already visited our families. Besides, there's more privacy at your beach house."

"You have a beach house?" Annie shrieked in delight.

"I sure do, my sweet mermaid," he kissed her hand lovingly. "Would you like to see it?"

"And how! I would love to see all of it!"

"Oh, you will," he teased, and the rest of us groaned in unison. "Say no more, we are all going!" he announced as he called a cab.

**_Peeta_**

"So how much time do you have?" Katniss asked softly as we lounged on the sand while the waves crashed rhythmically towards our bare feet. Her gray gaze seemed distant, and I wondered if she was already sad about me leaving when I hadn't even left yet. The others were inside the house, having occupied the only two bedrooms before Katniss and I could blink. We decided a walk in the moonlight, and a talk by the shore would be much more romantic anyway.

"I only have the furlough, which lasts for two weeks." I replied. "And since I already used this one, I don't know when I'll be able to come home again. It took me a while to collect enough points to request one. I just wish we had more time! I wish we had all the time in the world so that we could get to know each other better." I sighed. "I never thought I would ever get to meet someone like you," I confessed.

"What do you mean?" she asked, eyeing the large anchor tattoo on my rib.

"Well, I've been with women before, but none of them ever stuck with me, you know? I never thought twice about them, and I know this may sound awful, but they meant nothing to me. We would spend the night together and that was that. Even when I had girlfriends, they never lasted long because I was always so busy with other things and I just wanted to become a sailor. They knew it wouldn't last. But with you, it's different. I know we've only just met, but I can't stop thinking about you. I don't want this to mean nothing in the morning. I just want to freeze this moment, right here, right now, and live in it forever." The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them, and by her wide-eyed gaze, I could tell that I had frightened her with my bold confession.

"Peeta…" she began.

"No. Please don't say anything right now. Don't decide just yet. Just promise me that you will give me a chance tonight. Allow it to mean something if only for tonight," I begged her as I stared into her silver eyes. They were ten times brighter and a hundred times more breathtaking than the moonlight above the lonely sea, and I knew that they would haunt me for many sleepless nights to come.

"Okay," she whispered after a few waves crashed upon the shore.

"Then you'll allow it?"

"I'll allow it," she smiled, and my heart soared. I leaned in and kissed her, and this time it was a slow, tentative kiss, much unlike the frenzied one we'd had at the bar. I wanted to remember the exotic taste of her lips even after I could only taste saltwater. I sucked in her lip, tugging it gently with my teeth, and then let it go. She still tasted like pine trees, and I knew it wasn't the gin and tonic this time.

She sighed, and then grinned at me shyly. "I like your tattoos. What does that one say?" She pointed at my hip, her eyes drifting down towards the low waistband of my shorts.

I raised my eyebrows. "I guess you'll just have to find out for yourself," I said teasingly.

She laughed. "Is that a challenge, sailor?"

"You seemed like the adventurous type."

She shoved my arm playfully. "I'll have you know, I _never _reject an adventure."

"I believe it."

"But I like the ship one on your back. It's too bad it's going to end up all scratched by the end of the night," she said innocently.

I gaped at her, and then we both started laughing uncontrollably, intoxicated by nothing but each other's presence. I cupped her face with my hand and kissed her again, pecking her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her lips, her chin, and then going back up to her eyelids. I curled my fingers into her long, loose dark hair—I liked it better when it was free from the confines its tight braid, I decided—and she kissed my wrist, right above my libra tattoo.

"I want to discover all of your tattoos," she murmured. "So I can kiss each one of them."

"Well, you only have three more to kiss," I said, knowing that her kisses would be engraved deeper into my skin than the ink would ever be.

We ended up on the floor of the beach house's living room, blankets stacked up beneath us. It didn't take us long to discard the rest of our clothes, throwing them aside hastily in our eagerness to get to each other. She gasped as I cupped her breasts, and I relished the feeling of her soft mounds beneath my coarse palms. "You're absolutely striking," I breathed as I watched her tan skin glisten in the silver moonlight. "I wish I could draw you and memorize every single inch of you." She moaned as I tweaked her hardened nipples, running my thumbs over them as she arched her back in invitation.

"You should draw me like one of your French girls, Peeta," she said seductively as she reached down to grip my erection. A hiss escaped from me when I felt her cool hands against my heated skin.

I should never have told her about the French girls. _Actually, no, I don't regret that,_ I realized when she started running her small hands over my length. She squeezed my sac, and I cried out. "Okay, okay, I'll draw you tomorrow and show you all of my artwork," I gave in as she smiled, pleased. "Will you be here in the morning?" I asked as I let go of her so that I could swipe my tongue over one of her pebbled tips.

"Yes, yes, yes!" she chanted breathlessly, now gripping my hair tightly with both hands as I kneaded her other breast. My mouth enveloped her and I suckled, using my teeth to slightly graze over her sensitive skin, tugging on her nipple gently. Her lips parted as I watch her reaction, and then I switched sides to repeat the same ministrations while I continued to tease the nub that I had just sucked on. "Oh, Peeta," her voice got caught up in her throat as my other hand worked down towards her center, finding her clit and then circling it expertly. She thrust her hips towards me and I inserted a finger into her warm, fleshy folds to test out the waters.

"Fuck, you're so wet," I grunted.

"I've been wet for you all day," she said, and I moaned, my cock twitching at her words.

I then added another finger into her, pushing them in and out of her rapidly. She pulled me down and kissed me, our tongues clashing and stroking each other while I fucked her with my fingers. I stroked her clit with my thumb while I arched my middle and pointer fingers towards her. "Don't stop!" she cried out, and I increased my pace, feeling her walls tighten around me, signaling that she was close.

"Come for me," I breathed into her ear, and soon she was shuddering beneath me as she clutched my hair before letting go, her arms falling down at her sides as she panted hard. I rode her out a little longer until she pushed my hand away.

She grinned, glowing in her post-orgasm daze. "Now you," she said.

I shook my head, "Ah, ah, ah, I'm not done with you just yet," I warned her.

Her eyes widened as I made my way down towards her crotch, giving her a devilish smirk before lapping my tongue over the inside of her thigh teasingly. Her stomach rose and fell with her erratic breaths as she licked her lips in anticipation of what I was going to do next. I kissed the place underneath her navel, right above her hipbone, and then nestled my face down at the crease between her thighs and center before placing my lips over her folds. She sighed as I opened my mouth to her, trapping her between my lips as I slid my hands beneath her bottom, squeezing her cheeks. I slid my tongue inside her, flicking it rapidly before nipping her clit— _her little man on the boat—_my friends and I called it. I grinned playfully as she began chanting my name breathlessly while I took in her nub and sucked it lavishly. "Peeta!" she screamed when I opened my mouth wider to thrust my tongue inside her. She was pulling my hair so hard I saw stars. I was intoxicated with her sweet, wild taste and moist scent; I could eat her out all night.

"Peeta, Peeta, Peeta," she prayed and sang as she shattered again, and I slurped and drank of all her exotic juices. "Please," she begged as I sat up and wiped my mouth contentedly.

"Please, what, Katniss?" I asked as I leaned in towards her so that the glistening tip of my cock was brushing the hood of her clit.

"Fuck me," she hissed, pushing me closer.

"With pleasure," I grinned voraciously as I thrust into her without further warning.

"AH!" she cried out while I moaned in relief. She gripped my shoulder blades as I began pushing in and out of her, feeling her tight, wet, walls clenching around me. I ran my mouth over the supple skin of her neck, grazing it with my teeth before sucking on it.

"You feel amazing," I sighed against the bottom of her earlobe before teasing it with my tongue.

I borrowed myself deeper inside as she urged me on, her hips moving towards mine, eventually finding a steady rhythm that satisfied us both. She wrapped her legs around me, her heels digging into my ass as her long nails scratched the center of my back. My cock throbbed and swelled as her walls gripped me tightly, and my thrusts turned from deep to shallow as I increased the tempo, the sound of damp flesh slapping against each other almost overwhelming the sound of our ragged breaths. She whimpered when I reached down to rub her clit again, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. When she came, she cried out, tragically and beautifully, biting her lip to resist the pressure of her ecstasy before finally letting go.

The sound of her third coming was the last straw for me, and my sac tightened and my vision blurred as I released everything inside her while the inside of her fleshy folds milked me. I collapsed my head against her shoulder, and I finally felt the burning feeling that her scratches had left on my back tattoo. She hadn't been joking about that. We gasped against each other for a few seconds, her arms wrapping around me tightly until I looked up and looked into her wide-eyed sliver gaze. I traced my thumb over her temple and grinned as we both laughed in relief. She ran her forefinger over my hip tattoo. "I know what it says now," she said teasingly.

We spent the rest of the night curling up against each other, and in the morning, I drew a picture of her so that I could take it with me when I left. We spent the next two weeks together, and when those two weeks were over, we promised to keep in touch. And then we would pick up where we left off.

* * *

_Wednesday, May 8__th__, 1946_

_New York City_

_14:30 hours_

_5 years, 11 months, and 21 days later_

**_Katniss_**

Today was my birthday. I hated my birthday. What was there to celebrate, after all? Certainly not the fact that I wasn't getting any younger, that was for sure. "Happy Birthday, Katniss!" my co-workers cheered just as I walked into the bar that day.

"Oh!" I exclaimed as they presented me with a cake and candles.

"Make a wish!" Annie and Delly chanted.

I couldn't help myself. I thought about Peeta Mellark. I hadn't seen him in so long, yet we had kept in touch for six years now. I missed him terribly. I took a deep breath and blew out the candles as everyone clapped. "Thank you, everyone," I said flustered as Effie began cutting the cake, handing me the first slice.

"The crowd is really excited for your performance today," Effie informed me. "All the regulars know it's your birthday, and they all know we're celebrating today."

"Oh, well, I don't want to be the center of attention!" I exclaimed as everyone chuckled.

"Then you picked the wrong job, Sweetheart!" Haymitch winked at me, causing even more laughter.

"They just want to wish you well, Katniss," Cinna, our new set and dress designer, assured me. I smiled at him. I really liked Cinna; he had been a great friend to me since he started working at the bar, and he was always saying that my Broadway dreams would come true one day.

"We have a surprise for you later," Johanna added.

"Jo!" Annie and Delly scolded her.

She shrugged. "I didn't say what it was!" she said defensively.

"I'm sure it's great," I said, although I was actually dreading it. They _knew _how I felt about surprises.

"You'll like this one, I promise," Annie said.

I bit my lip anxiously. The only surprise I wanted right now was to see Peeta. I knew that he would be coming home soon with the rest of the troops, but I didn't know when, and the anticipation was killing me. I couldn't wait to see him again.

I knew just what song to sing today.

I climbed up on stage, stepped towards the microphone, and the trumpets began playing the romantic tune. I breathed in, and the lyrics flowed naturally out of my soul:

_Kiss me once, then kiss me twice_  
_Then kiss me once again_  
_It's been a long, long time_  
_Haven't felt like this, my dear_  
_Since I can't remember when_  
_It's been a long, long time_

_You'll never know how many dreams_  
_I've dreamed about you_  
_Or just how empty they all seemed without you_  
_So kiss me once, then kiss me twice_  
_Then kiss me once again_  
_It's been a long, long time_

The crowd watched in enchantment as I sang, the band playing devotedly behind me.

_Ah, kiss me once, then kiss me twice_  
_Then kiss me once again_  
_It's been a long time_  
_Haven't felt like this my dear_  
_Since I can't remember when_  
_It's been a long, long time_

_You'll never know how many dreams_  
_I dreamed about you_  
_Or just how empty they all seemed without you_  
_So kiss me once then kiss me twice_  
_Then kiss me once again_  
_It's been a long, long time_  
_Long, long time_

As the song ended and I let out my last note, I opened my eyes to be met with none other than a familiar pair of ocean-blue eyes. The audience cheered and wolf-whistled as I stepped off dazed from the stage. But all I could see was him in his white uniform and Dixie Cup hat, grinning from ear to ear. I ran towards him, as if in a dream, tears blurring my eyesight. His arms opened in invitation, and I was being enveloped in his safe embrace once again. I crashed into him, like the waves on the shore that night six years ago.

He had come back to me, as he had always promised.

His lips molded into mine instantly, and I tasted seawater on his warm tongue and smelled the ocean in his skin. I tugged him closer, pulling on the blue handkerchief around his neck. He pressed me closer and lifted me, and I could cheer people cheering in the background. When he finally released me so that we could come up for air, we looked around and saw that Annie and Finnick were locked into the same embrace, as well as Gale and Johanna. No one who saw us could doubt our love.

"You all came back," I finally said, looking into his eyes.

"Of course we did. We all promised we would, didn't we? Like a wave out in the ocean, remember?" he said, stroking my cheek as he quoted one of his many love letters.

"Stay with me," I pleaded, hoping that this would be the last time I would have to ask.

"Always," he promised. And I knew that this time, it was real.

* * *

_**A/N-**__Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. The first song was inspired by The Andrew Sisters' version of "In the Mood," and the last song was inspired by Helen Forrest's version of "It's been a long, long time." Check them out if you would like! This was really fun to write, so thank you to IzzySamson for suggesting the prompt. It's been an honor writing for you. Also, I'd like to thank jazzfic for writing "K, Like a Secret" for me on AO3. It was such a lovely, wonderfully written story and I highly recommend it. The writing style is very unique and I promise it will blow your mind. I very much enjoyed it! _


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